Ten Ways to Position Yourself for Personal Success
by Lori James

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Whether it is applying new information gleaned from a book or course, writing resolutions at the beginning of the year or new intentions for your birthday, or just deciding to develop a new habit, all of us have experienced the process of committing to do something new or different. Most of us don’t succeed during our first few attempts. How can you make this time different? Here are some suggestions to increase your personal success.

1. Ask yourself who is the motivating person behind the change.

Be clear on whether you are making the change for yourself or for someone else. Your chance of success is much higher if the change is part of how you see yourself. One client had been asked repeatedly by her husband and daughter to stop smoking. She would try, but her efforts would fail after only a few days. Recently, she made the decision to stop smoking because she wanted to feel better. The change was for herself, a part of her vision for a healthy new lifestyle. Her success has been amazing! Her secret: making the decision a personal one.

2. Define the benefits you will receive.

Any time we are confronted with change, humans tend to ask, ‘What’s in it for me?' Be very specific. Why is this change important to you? Will it really matter in a year? How would you feel if nothing changed?

3. Get it in writing.

Seems so simple that even a child can do it. Yet, this simple step can make the difference between success and failure. Write out your goal or intention. Place it somewhere you will see it frequently. You want to keep it on your mind.

4. Be SMART about writing out your goal.

Just writing an idea on paper isn’t going to change your life. Add some structure to what you write and things begin to happen!
(a) Be SPECIFIC. Spell out your goal as precisely as possible.
(b) Write it in a way you can MEASURE your progress. You want to know how far along you are at any specific moment.
(c) Make is ACHIEVABLE. By writing down something you can achieve – even if it is a stretch – you will continue to be motivated. If you write something that exceeds your limits, your brain will give up before you get started.
(d) Be REALISTIC. Can you accomplish your goal given the time and resources you have available?
(e) By what TIME frame do you plan to achieve your goal? Pick a date and mark it on your calendar.

5. Share the news.

Tell someone. Tell several people. Ask them to hold you accountable. Give them permission to ask how you are progressing. By making your goal public and having others ask about your progress, you increase your commitment to succeed.

6. Define the barriers.

If you have worked on this goal before, what held you back in the past? You know yourself best. What is likely to get in the way of reaching your goal? Identify where you tend to lose motivation or get discouraged.

7. Build in success.

Once you know where you are likely to lose momentum, develop a plan that will get you back on track. Have a backup plan for each type of barrier. Be prepared. Involve those with whom you shared your goal.

8. Stay motivated.

While you are in the planning stage, define little “mini-goals” for various stages along the way. Find ways to reward yourself for meeting these little goals. They get you one step closer to your real goal, so celebrate your achievements along the way!

9. Learn to see setbacks as a learning opportunity.

So you backtracked a bit. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Turn around and get headed in the right direction. Ask yourself if something in particular caused this setback. Make it a chance to learn about yourself. Add it to the list of barriers (step 6) if it wasn’t there already. Then, come up with a plan should the same thing happen again (step 7). Now you know what to do for the next time.

10. Look into the future.

Picture yourself having already achieved your goal. What does it look like? How do you feel? What aspects of your life have been affected? Hold onto this image of yourself when you feel discouraged. Picture this image when you read your goals. Spend some time believing you have succeeded – and before you know it, your vision will come true.

Author's Bio
Lori works with motivated business leaders and executives to achieve personal and professional successes without burnout. With over ten years experience in coaching, her clients most appreciate her compassion, wisdom, integrity, sense of humor and love of life. How do you define success? contact me for a complimentary coaching session to see if we're a good fit or send a blank email: mailto:on-601@ezezine.com to receive SUCCESS: Your Life, Your Way!